Means for accurate registering of printing formes for multi-coloured work



Oct. 23, 1956 E. cHRlsTEN 2,767,481

MEANS FOR ACCURATE REGISTERING OF PRINTING FORMES FOR MULTI-COLOUREDWORK Filed March 129, 1950 MEANS FOR ACCURATE REGISTERING OF PRINTINGFORMES FOR MULTI-COLOURED WORK Ernst Christen, Kriens, SwitzerlandApplication March 29, 1950, Serial No. 152,708

Claims priority, application Switzerland March 30, 1949 4 Claims. (Cl.33184.5)

This invention relates to a method for the exact registering of printingblocks for multi-colored work independently of the printing press, :aswell as .a device for carrying out said method.

In producing two and multicolored prints the registering of the secondand further colored printing matter with the first outline forme has upto now been a tedious and time consuming work which had to be carriedout on the printing machine itself so that during the time required forsuch registering work the machine could not be operated productively.Similarly the testing of the correct positioning of the printing formesin the chase on -a separate galley press was an equally Wearisomeoperation. In both said operations of registering `a large number ofproof sheets was :always required for testing.

The present invention obviates said disadvantages and is characterizedin that a galley proof is taken from the rst printing forme alreadyfitted into the printing press the proof being made onto a sheet ortransparent paper lying exactly aga-inst the front Iand the side stop ofthe printing press, sai-d galley proof then being fixed to the capitalof the chase of a further printing forme with the help of a suitabledevice or adjustment means by taking into consideration the distance ofthe front paper stop from the capital stop of the respective printingpress, whereupon all elements of this printing matter can be :accuratelychecked according to the transparent galley proof `and can be correctlyregistered.

The device according to the present invention for carrying out saidmethod is characterized in that a carrier for fitting to the capital ofthe chase of the press .and running parallel to the front stop isequipped with a stop -for one edge of a sheet of transparent paper tothereby adjust and secure at a distance from the capital stop at leasttwo clamping means for tix-ing the paper at said one edge.

Preferably the carrier is arranged parallel to the capital and has atleast two overhanging beams arranged at right angles to said capital'and parallel to the imposing stone, said overhanging beams beingadjustable as regards their Ioverhang 4and carrying at their free ends astop :and having associated therewith clamping elements each for saidone paper edge.

By way of example `an embodiment of the object of the present inventionis illustrated in the enclosed drawing in which:

`Fig. l is a partial front view of the device partly in section,

Fig. 2 a side view of the device partly in section,

Fig. 3 a plan View of a part of the device,

Fig. 4 .a detail of Fig. 2 in section,

Fig. 5 -a section along the line V-V in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 a detail of Fig. l to `an enlarged scale.

The adjustment device illustrated and made in accordance with theinvent-ion has a rod-'shaped carrier l which can be itted by means of atleast two supporting brackets 2 to the capital of the chase of .aprinting Iforme, and which has spaced over its entire length -at leasttwo (in the example shown there are four) overhanging arms nited StatesPater ice 2 -3 carrying each at their free end a clamping device 4, 5(Figs. 1 3).

By Way of example the carrier 1 is a square in cross section and extendsat least over the whole length of the capital of the chase, for example;it therefore has a total length of 1.3 m. The four overhanging arms '3are dovetail-shaped in cross section and are fitted for longitudinaldisplacement in corresponding recesses 1a in the carrier 1. Theoverhanging arms extend =at right angles to the carrier and are arrangedparallel to the imposing stone 6 on which the printing forme is set up.A carrier plate 7 is screwed across each of the dovetail-shaped recess1a of the Icarrier :1 and provided with a set screw 8 for clamping theoverhanging arm 3 in the position of overhang required.

The free end of each overhanging arm 3 carries a downwardly projectingflange 9 (Figs. 2, 5 and 6) to which the web 4a of an L-shaped section 4is screwed in such a manner that the foot of the section is turned awayfrom the carrier 1. The profile section 4 is arranged parallel to thecarrier yl as well yas to the imposing stone `6 and according to Fig. `lit is adapted to `form a part common to two adjacent overhanging armseach and Vconnecting the ends of said overhanging arms. In this mannerthe ends of all the overhanging arms cou'ld be -connected by a commonprofile section or each overhanging arm could have a separate profilesection. As `can be seen from Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the flange '9 and the web4a are provided with a vertical slot 10 in the centre of eachoverhanging arm through which the web of a T-:shaped clamping piece 5projects in such a manner that the head of the `clamping piece 5 comesto lie opposite thefoot of the prole section 4 and forms the clampingsurfaces for securing the edge of a paper Lby means of their surfaceslying face to face. For this purpose the Vclamping piece '5 is adaptedfor up Iand down displacement in the slot l@ by means of la threadedspindle 11 screwed into a knurled head 12 secured against :axialdisplacement by two tapered pins `13 projecting laterally into anannular groove 11a on the s-tem of the spindle (Fig. 6).

Each of the supporting brackets 2 for securing the carrier 1 to thecapital of the chase consists of a block of :an essentiallydouble-Tashaped form (iFig. 2). Into the bottom recess of this blockforming a lower Ua'shaped yframe the capital of the -chase projects towhich the supporting brackets 2 are clamped securely by means of a screwlever 14. The top recess of the double-Tshaped block forming an upperU-shaped frame is adapted for the reception of the carrier l Iand ofinserts or intermediate means consisting of two jaws .1"5 and 16. Thesetwo jaws 15 and 16 are arranged displaceably relative to each other ontwo bolts -17 which pass below the carrier kl (Fig. l). An inclinedclamping screw 18 presses on to a correspondingly inclined recess on theoutside of the clamping jaw l5 and thus securely clamps the carrierbetween the jaws of the insert pieces and consequently at the same timein the recess of the supporting bracket 2.

The embodiment of the supporting brackets 2 and the insert piecesdescribed serve the purpose of enabling a clamping device already inexistence in the printing establishment to be used, namely that of aregister square for registering and setting up. It is self-evident thatthe supporting bracket can also be used for the device according to thepresent invention which clamps the carrier 1 of the device directlywithout the interposition of insert pieces in which case the surface ofthe carrier coacting with the set screw 18 is preferably provided withav longitudinal groove having a surface arranged at right angles to theaxis of the clamping screw.

On at least one of the overhanging arms 3 a scale with centimetre ortypographical graduation could be provided 3 with advantage opposite towhich scale a mark could be provided on the carrier to enable thedistance between the web 4a of prole section 4 serving as a stop for oneedge of the paper to be clamped and the stop of the capital to be readoft directly.

The method according to the present invention and the use of the devicedescribed is the following:

Assuming the first printing forme for a multicoloured print, i. e. theso-called contour forme, is ready in the printing machine for thepriming operation. A galley proof is now made on a sheet of transparentpaper which sheet is accurately positioned against the front and sidestop. To increase the contrast of the printed surfaces on thetransparent paper, some bronze powder can be applied to the galley proofbefore it is completely dry whereby said bronze powder adheres to thedamp ink, but not to the paper.

By means of this transparent galley proof and with the help of theadjustment device described all further printing formes required for themulti-coloured print can be checked and exactly registered in theirchase whilst being outside of the printing machine.

For this purpose the device is irst of all secured to the capital of thechase of the printing forme to be checked by means of two supportingbrackets whereupon the overhang of the overhanging arms 3 is adjusted insuch a manner that the stop formed by the web 4a of the profile section4 for the sheet of transparent paper afterwards to be securely clampedis at exactly the same distance from the capital stop of the chase asthat of the front stop or abutment for the paper from the capital stopfor the chase in the printing machine to be used. This operation can begreatly facilitated by the scale mentioned on one of the overhangingarms. Furthermore a profile section 4 connecting the free ends of atleast two, if not all, of the overhanging arms contributes to the rapidadjustment of the overhanging arms, since in this case severaloverhanging arms are automatically simultaneously adjusted. Afterwardsthe front edge of the transparent galley proof is pushed between theclamping piece 5 of the profile section until it abuts against the web4a of said profile section and then the paper edge is securely clampedby tightening the screw 12. in doing this it is obvious that the lateraledge of the sheet of transparent paper must be in the correct positionrelative to the side stop or abutment of the printing press which can becarried out either by the lateral setting of the paper before tighteningthe clamping screws i2 or subsequently by lateral displacement of thewhole device by corresponding loosening of the set screws 118 on thesupporting brackets.

When the paper has been clamped in the correct position relative to thechase then it is at the exact level of the printing face of the printingforme since the clamping surface between the clamping piece 5 and thefoot of the profile section 4 are exactly at the level of the printingface above the imposing stone. By viewing through the sheet oftransparent paper the register of the various forme elements can bechecked in relation to the position of the galley proof and therespective corrections are immediately checkable after having beencarried out by means of the transparent galley proof.

After the exact registering of the second printing forme the device isset upon the chase of a further printing forme in multi-coloured workwhich printing forme is then again checked and registered by means ofthe transparent galley proof in the same manner as before.

By the method according to the present invention and with the help ofthe device described it is therefore possible to carry out registeringwork in multi-coloured printing completely outside of the printingmachine on the imposing stone, during which time the printing press isat hand for productive work such as e. g. the printing of the firstprinting forme.

Thus costly printing machine hours or a wearisome i checking on separateproving presses as well as the possibility of having to use a largenumber of registering sheets during checking of the machine can beobviated.

Aithough only one specific embodiment of the invention has beendescribed and shown in the drawings, it should be noted that theinvention may be realized in modified form and adaptations of thearrangements hercin disclosed may bc made as may readily occur topersons skilled in the art without constituting a departure from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the objects and in theappended claims.

What i claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. .A system for use in connection with multi-color printing operationsfor accurately registering therefor a plurality of printing formes withthe chases thereof outside, of a printing press, which is equipped withabutment means .for positioning sheets to be printed; comprisingadjustment means for detachably engaging the respective chases of saidprinting formes and including a carrier, bracket means supporting saidcarrier and constructed for securement thereof parallel to and along apredetermined edge of the chase of one of said printing formes, stopmeans arranged on and for displacement at right angles to said carrier,whereby adjustment of said stop means relative to said abutment means ofsaid press may be carried out, and clamping means connected to said stopmeans for retaining thereon an edge of a transparent sheet bearing agalley proof corresponding to said one printing forme, the chase ofanother printing forme being registrable with said one printing forme inrelation to the position of said galley proof by transferring saidadjustment means onto the corresponding edge of the chase of said otherprinting forme, whereby both said printing formes may be correctlychecked in predetermined relation to each other for placement in saidpress.

2. A. system according to claim 1, said bracket means being profiled toform a lower U-shaped frame portion, tensioning means carried by saidbracket means and extending into said lower U-shaped frame portion forsecuring said bracket means to the chase of the respective printingforme, said bracket means being also provided with an upper U-shapedframe portion including means therefor to securedly said carrier in saidbracket means, and arm means extending parallel to said printing formesand displaceable at right angles to said carrier, said arm meanssupporting said Stop means and said clamping means.

3. A system according to claim 2, including insert means in said upperU-shaped frame portion and located at opposite faces of said carrierwhen inserted in said upper frame portion, said tensioning means beingoriented at an angle to and `being cooperable with said insert means toyadjust said carrier in position in said bracket means.

4. A system according to claim 2, including manipulating means foractuating said clamping means and extending perpendicular to and carriedby said arm means, to thereby retain the edge of said transparent sheetat said stop means and for removal from said clamping means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 240,002Baldwin Apr. 2, `1881 343,608 Pollard June 15,` 1886 1,076,847 TaylorOct. 28, 1913 1,197,874 Wagner et al. Sept. 12, 1916 1,443,810 Betts etal Ian. 30, 1923 1,779,384- Vandercook et al. Oct. 21, 1930 1,849,597Simms Mar. 15, 1932 2,097,209 Cooper et al. Oct. 26, `1937 2,115,357Bancroft et al. Apr. 26, 1938 2,236,000 Koessler et al Mar. 25, 19412,277,405 McKiernan Mar. 24, 1942 2,455,735 Condax Dec. 7, `19482,512,937 Hartman June 27, 1950

